The inlet of a low-pressure compressor of a turbojet engine is generally delimited by a circular splitter nose. Positioned inside and downstream of the separation lip of the nacelle, the splitter nose divides a flow entering the turbine engine into a primary flow and a secondary flow. The division of these guided flows depends on the diameter and the form of the leading edge.
During operation, the splitter nose is subject to icing. A sheet of ice forms and accumulates there, modifying the form of the leading edge. As a result, the flow towards the primary duct is disturbed. Moreover, the ice may develop forming actual blocks of ice at various points. Owing to the intense vibrations affecting the turbojet engine, these blocks of ice eventually come loose and are inevitably sucked into the compressor. There they damage the vanes or blades, thus causing deterioration in the performance of the turbine engine with the risk of breakdown.
In order to safeguard against these effects, the splitter nose is currently fitted with a heating device. This device heats up the nose so as to prevent the formation of ice or melt the ice which has already formed. The heat may be provided by the oil of the turbine engine or it may be electrically produced.
The document US 2004/0065092 A1 discloses a low-pressure turbine engine compressor. The compressor has a splitter nose, the outer surface of which is lined with a de-icing device. The device has a polymer layer in which a coil of heating wire is embedded. When the latter is electrically energized, it heats up in the manner of an electrical resistance. This prevents the formation of ice on the leading edge. However, this technology is bulky and it is unable to ensure a thin form of the leading edge required for precise distribution of the flows. Moreover, the position of the turns in the thickness of the polymer layer is random. During operation, certain zones of the external surface are not sufficiently heated, while other zones are overheated.